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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — in sport
  5. hand — in cards
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. season — of the year
  10. court — for sport
  11. cap — of ice
  12. last — finally
  13. root — of a word
  14. current — of water
  15. court — of law
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — happening now
  19. last — final
  20. hand — help
  21. current — electric
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. root — of a plant
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com